A Long Weekend in Garmisch – Partenkirchen

We recently took a little trip “to the mountains”. The Garmisch- Partenkirchen area is an area on the Austrian border in the Bavarian Alps. This area is a great one for hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, and just feeling right in the heart of the alps and nature. It has something for everyone. We took a quick weekend getaway and explored some of the top sites. 

Garmisch and Partenkirchen were two separate cities for quite a long time, up until 1935 when they were forced to “merge” for the Winter Olympics in 1936. Partenkirchen is the older of the two as it dates back to Roman times and A.D. 15. Garmisch was not mentioned until 800 years later. The two cities have quite the history between the land, the plague, and the witch trials. Not to mention, the Winter Olympics of 1936 (the first year Alpine Skiing was competed) and then World War II when the town held a major hospital for the German military. The towns have distinct differences, with Garmisch being more “modern” of the two and the area is now referred to as Garmish-Partenkirchen OR GAP (although many people try to simply say Garmisch).

So, upon our arrival to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we decided to start with a trip up the mountain, to the highest peak in Germany, Zugspitze.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains, this is one of the most incredible viewpoints in the region. The German/Austrian Border runs right through the peak, so you can head for lunch at the peak in Austria (or Germany) and see the beauty all around. The peak was first reached in 1820 by Josef Naus, Maier, and Johann George Tauschl. If you choose to climb, you have three routes to take, however if you’re like us, you can also choose from three different cable cars to “ride” up to the top. We took the Seilbahn Zugspitze up which provided us with some incredible views both on the way up and down. 

Once we came down, we walked down to Lake Eibsee. Lake Eibsee is one of those lakes that I feel like are beyond words. Created by a rock fall, the water is crystal clear, the deepest, prettiest shade of blues and greens that you could dream of, and provides the peace and clarity that only being by the water can provide. It is actually considered one of the purest lakes in the Alps. Similar to Alpsee at Hohenschwangau/Neuschwanstein or Forggensee in Fussen, this is a level of beauty that just seems to need to be seen (and then can’t be captured perfectly because you need to see it in person) and just held in your soul. We walked around a bit of the lake and found another little “hide away” lakes that was also incredibly gorgeous.

• 

• 

• 

• 

From there we headed in to town and over to our Hotel. We stayed at Reindl’s Partenkirchner Hof and I would highly recommend a stay here. The hotel was beautiful, and the room was incredible. They had offerings throughout the day, could arrange several activities for guests, and the location was great. From check in, we wandered over to the site of the Winter Olympics Ice Rink. Fun fact about me, I was a competitive figure skater for about 12 years. Seeing the history of the ice rink was awesome and seeing the location was really cool. We headed more into the Altstadt side of town and found a little restaurant to eat some dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Zum Wildfchutz and the food was delicious. I got a bread/pizza concoction and my husband got a meat dish. We also sampled the 2020 Oktoberfest beer from the Hacker-Pschorr brewery, which was also delicious (I think I’ve just decided that German beer is the only beer for me- especially the Oktoberfest brews). 

After the massive meal, we felt like walking a little bit longer (to walk off a bit of that delicious meal) and found ourselves in a church, Pfarrkirch St. Martin. This is one of those gems that you could very easily miss just by not walking in. I find churches to be some of the most incredible stops to make when traveling as they are all different in unique ways. Yes, the structure and such can be similar, but each church is still incredibly unique. And this church was breathtaking.

• 

• 

• 

This particular church is first referenced (and an initial church was built) in the 18^th century, with mentions going back to around 750. The current church was renovated starting in 2007 to repair the entire building (from the roof to the flooring). The ceiling paintings were painted by Matthaus Gunther. When we walked through an organist was playing the organ, which only added to the special feeling that we were experiencing. That was the perfect end to our day. 

The next day we spent our entire day in the Partnach Gorge area. In its most basic (read: I am not a geologists and I don’t understand a vast majority of that) sense, the Partnach Gorge is a 702-meter-deep gorge that has been incised by a mountain stream. In some places the gorge is over 80 meters deep. The gorge was initially used by locals in the 18^th century as a way to transport firewood, as well as a rafting stream (until the 1960’s). In 1912 the gorge started to be developed for tourists to visit and has undergone changes as the landscape changes (there was a rockfall in 1991 that changed the path), and the walk is…incredible. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sometimes we experience, or visit somewhere that we cannot put into words. Somewhere that just connects with every fiber of our being, and the experience of visiting that place just transcends everything else. That was Partnach Gorge for me. It was just incredible. The rush of the stream, the rockwall all around, it was an experience that I will never forget. Not to mention, the actual water itself was a gorgeous blue/green that you think only exists in highly edited photos. 

• 

• 

• 

However, to back up for a minute (I got a little excited and ahead of myself), we started the day at the Olympic Ski Park. We didn’t climb the stairs to the top of the jump, but rather stopped on our way to the gorge (as you have to pass through to get to the walking path for the gorge). So, the Olympic Ski Stadium.

• 

• 

• 

The 1936 Winter Olympics were only the fourth Winter Olympic Games and set quite a bit of records and history. You are able to climb to the top (although we did not do this) and you are also able to see what the skiers would have seen (and still do- there are two annual competitions held in this stadium). If you are into the Olympic sites and history, you are also able to visit the bobsled track which held the “most dangerous track” title for quite a long time. 

Now, after the Stadium and after you walk through the gorge, there are two different routes to get back to the gorge entrance (I’m actually pretty sure there are more than two, we just chose between two that we mapped out). We let our older son Colton choose the route, and he chose the “road less traveled”.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

This path meant climbing partially up the side, then back down, and back up again. It was quite the hike, but so well worth it as the scenery of the Alps is unparalleled. Not only do you get the views within the Alps, but you are also able to see the gorge from above (though you can see this whichever path you choose- there are definitely easier paths to take). It was quite the way to spend our day and I loved every minute of it. 

Our final day on our weekend was our “head home” day, but we incorporated one final stop on our way home to Schloss Linderhof (or Linderhof Palace). Now, I’ll devote an entire post to Linderhof (just like I will for Heidelberg Castle, Cochem Castle, Burg Eltz, and all the rest- they ARE coming I promise), but I’ll give some bare bones here to hold you over till that post.

So, Linderhof. Ludwig II was quite the dreamer and builder. He commissioned a lot of different monuments and statues (Walhalla, Liberation Hall, Neuschwanstein, and many, many, more) and he turned these ideas into realities fairly quickly. Not long after redesigning rooms in his Munich residence and laying the foundation stone for Neuschwanstein, he started plans for Linderhof (all of this took place 4 years after he crowned King). His initial plans didn’t come to fruition, however what did was incredible. The original building was the Foresters house, which was used when the King (Ludwig’s Father, Maximilian) and Crown Prince would go on hunting trips. The palace was remodeled and rebuilt in various stages, but ended up being the only palace Ludwig II saw completed in his lifetime. 

• 

• 

This palace easily jumped to almost the top of my favorite castle list (it’s battling up against Hohenzollern Castle if you’re wondering) as both the building itself and the location is perfect. Ludwig II loved the concept of the French palaces (and Versailles in particular) and this most definitely reflected that love. It’s ornate, it’s incredible, and the attention to detail, to making smaller rooms appear larger, while still trying to keep them “cozy” is just wonderful. Not to mention the garden and the exterior and something to behold as well. What a way to end our weekend.